Improvement in mattresses for forming embankments



3Sheets-'She-et1. .T. B. EAIDS &- J. ANDREWS.

MATTRASS FOR. FORMING EMBAN'KMENT. No. 170,832. Patented Dec. 7,1875

INVENTDFIS:

a/rned NJETERS, PNOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C,

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. B. EADS & J. ANDREWS. MATTRASS FOR FORMINGEMBANKMEN'I.

Patented Dec. 7,1875.

INVENTUHS N PETERS, PHOTO-LITNOGMPHER, WASHINGTON D C 3 ShetsSh-eet 3.J. B. EADS & L ANDREWS. MATTRASS FOR FORMING EMBANKMENT.

Patented Dec. 7,1875.

INVENTEIFIS:

/am ced- AT TE ST! NFETERS, PNOTOJ-ITHDGRAPHER, WASMKNGYON, D. C

Urrn STATES JAMES B. EADS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND JAMES ANDREWS, OFALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MATTRESSES FOR FORMING EMBANKMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,832, dated December'7, 1875 application filed August 19, 1875. i

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, JAMES B. Elms, of the city and county of St. Louis,and State of Missouri,and JAMES ANDREWS, of the city and county ofAllegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulMattress for Forming Embankments, Dikes, and J etties, and forprotecting the banks of rivers or sea-shores, and of which the followingis a specification:

The first part of our improvement relates to the mattress itself, whichconsists of a body of brush, hay, hagasse, straw, or other suitablematerial, inclosed between two or more layers of saplings or stems oftrees or sawed strips of lumber, and the whole confined by rails orsawed strips of lumber or saplings laid transversely to the stems, andsecured by pins traversing the body. Our invention consists, second, inconstructing a mattress for jetties, &c., by securing upon acompressible body of brush, or its equivalent an upper' and under courseof rails or bars by means of pins passing through the body and rails,and by wedges driven into the ends of the pins transversely to therails.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a plan of one mattress. Fig. 2is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of the hinding-frameof the mattress, part in section. Fig. 4 is a crosssection, showing theconstruction of the embankment. Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.

A A are rails lying parallel to each other, and, say, four feet apart.These rails may be made of any suitable length, and may be, say, threeinches by six inches in section. At regular distances are vertical pinsB B, extending upward and passing through rails G 0, similar to thoseAA. The ends of the pins are secured in the rails by Wedges D, placedtransversely to the rails, so as to spread the pin-ends endwise of therails, to avoid tendency to split the rails. The rails O O are in aplane parallel to that of A A, say at a distance of two feet therefrom.The space between the rails is filled in with Willow saplings and brush,or other material, in the following manner: First, a layer of smallsaplings, E, is laid transversely upon the base-rails AA. The saplingsare laid with their tops extending alternately in opposite directions,so as to impart uniform strength to the mattresses, and make afoundation on which to lay twigs, bunches of suitable trees, bagasse,hay, &c., to form the main body of the mattress. been covered with thislayer of saplings, then brush and small limbs, and twigs F of willow orother trees, hay, bagasse, or other suitable material, are thrown onpromiscuously to the required depth, and being made moderately level ontop. This is then covered with a top layer of saplings, Gr, similar toE, and laid in the same direction. The upper course of rails is then puton, the pins B B passing through holes in them, previously bored, andbeing secured by wedges, as before stated, driven into the upper ends ofthe pins, or by nails, pins, or other suitable and economic means. Therails A A and G O impart stiffness to the mat tress in one direction,and the saplings E and Gr stiffen it in a direction transverse to therails. Diagonal saplings may likewise be laid beneath the top rails togive additional strength. The top rails may be laid transversely to thebottom ones, and the top course of saplings may be then laidtransversely to the bottom one. The saplings may be sub stituted bysawed strips of lumber, or rails placed in their stead.

We prefer to make the pins B B with ends of reduced diameter, so as toleave shoulders, which, at the lower end, have firm hearings on therails A A, which prevent the pin from being driven downward in insertingthe upper wedge.

The mattresses will be most conveniently built on launching timbers orways H, from which they are launched into the water, and thence floatedto the place where they are to be sunk.

The mattresses are weighted down after being launched, and sunk to thebottom by depositing earth or sand on them by means of sand-pumps,dredges, or other suitable means, and when once sunk the accumulation ofsediment in them will retain them in their position; or they maybeweighted with stone also, as shown at I, Fig. 4. They are associatedtogether in any suitable manner-for instance,

When the rails have 2 i v 170,s32

as illustrated in Fig. 4--and covered with riprap, stone, or by pumpingor throwing earth or sand on them, J.

In Figs. 4. and 5, K K represent piles; L L, longitudinal timbers; andM, sheet piling of the higher part of the jetty, which may have a body,N, built up of willows or other woods, to increase its width, and whichmay be loaded down with stones, 0. I

We claim as our invention 1. A mattress for the formation of jetties orexnbankments formed of an upper and an under layer of poles or saplingsE G, compressed JAS. B. EADS. JAMES ANDREWS. Witnesses:

ALEX. G. COGHRAN, E. O. ANDREWS.

